From Paul Payton: Comment Via WBRU Web Page and the Google Group
b&p
Hi,
I’m sending this out to (1) update Fred’s still-wonderful WBRU site and (2) stir up our GoogleGroup a little. What’s new with everyone? Here’s the news from atop the Third Watchung Mountain (OK, a glacial escarpment 80 feet about average terrain, but in this part of NJ, it’s a mountain!)...
Just connected with Roger Norton on Facebook, another timesuck – Facebook, NOT Roger! I’m already “Favebooked” with several more of you/us, which is also great, It just seems that everything seems to “take longer” in these days of “accelerated everything,” and there’s always more stuff to keep up with instead of less. But I guess that’s a topic for a philosophy class. Meanwhile, I need 40 hours a day 8 days a week just to maintain stuff I do now, never mind pulling ahead. But I’m trying anyway – see the 4th paragraph (below).
Random notes: Bette (Schultz ’73) and I spent two weeks cruising the Inside Passage on a small cruise ship from Vancouver to Alaska, then a third week on the Alaska RR going to Denali and the Kenai Peninsula. Lots of wonderful wildlife and scenery. May I suggest that if you haven’t been there, do it before you’re too old to enjoy it – it’s more than another state, it’s another country (and possibly another world). We had incredible and unusual weather (60s-70s during the day in June and early July, although damp and cool coming up the Passage). One day at Denali it was clear, sunny and 80 degrees; it was 73 and rainy in NYC! Needless to say, we not only saw the mountain, but we got a rare view of it without a cloud in front of it! Very inspiring.
In October, Bette and I also came back to WBRU to be “alumni expert resources,” she in business (remember, it was her signature on the mortgage for the 50KW xmtr on the Bio Sci Li) and I for voice (production and on-air). There’s a ferociously talented – and smart – bunch in charge and on the air now. Listen for a female jock named Gabriella – she comes off like a Rachel Maddow of rock music – quite impressive. Interesting stats: about half the staff are women, and it seems that most of the Board positions are held by women; and even in the rock department, it seemed that almost half the staff were minorities. The cool thing is how “the kids” don’t really notice – it’s just life to them. Would that some of the voluntarily blind reactionaries in our country “get over it” and join the real world....
Other historical note: the late ‘60s-early ‘70s WBRU jocks played our demos as though they were album cuts, and finally, 40 years too late, with the band’s help and blessings I will be releasing the Benefit Street album, with luck in the next few months, on my label, Presence Records. We’re putting the finishing touches on some re-ixing and re-EQing of the best available tapes, and will be including four tracks from the American Dream: the 45 on Bovi (Love Is a Beautiful Thing/Jug Band Music) and two exceptional unreleased tracks (Bells of St. Stephen’s/Henry Hawthorne). The weakest link so far: I have an adequate source for the 45, but am in need of a better one – anyone have a decent copy of the 45 from which you can make a hi-grade mp3 or wav file? Or send it to me and I’ll do it and send it back? Oddly, none of the band members has a copy – including me! I’ll let everyone know when it’s out – please buy a copy, as this one is all on me.
And that’s the news. Hope everyone is alive, well and rockin’, and thanks to Fred for keeping the website up and running. Please don’t let me be the only new contributor! (And when ARE we having the next reunion?!?)
Paul Payton ‘69